Zimpapers Logo

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

THE 6th session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (AFRFSD) to be hosted in Victoria Falls next month is a critical platform for Zimbabwe to showcase itself to the world as it pursues its re-engagement thrust.

The conference, to be held from February 24 to February 27, will review progress made by the continent in implementing and monitoring the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It will be a high-level indaba compared to the previous five editions as, for first time, all the SDGs will be discussed in one meeting.  Each member state is expected to send at least two ministers.

An advance team of organisers recently arrived in the resort town to prepare for the annual high-level ministerial forum.

Speaking on the sidelines of the preparatory meeting on Thursday, Chief Director in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Mr Clifford Matorera said Zimbabwe will benefit economically and politically from the conference.

“This is a very important event for Zimbabwe and we are expecting to have economic spin-offs as the country has an opportunity to showcase itself in terms of implementation of SDGs and to learn from others in terms of challenges, opportunities and how far they have gone in the implementation. 

“This is an opportunity for the tourism sector to benefit as we expect about 1 400 delegates from Africa and beyond, so we will showcase ourselves in terms of tourism and spruce up in areas that we are re-engaging the international community,” said Mr Matorera.

Zimbabwe will also assume chair of AFRFSD during the conference making the country the voice of the continent.  Mr Matorera said Zimbabwe will also exhibit its hospitality to the whole world. 

Head of the foreign delegation that is in the country to prepare for the meeting, Mr Oliver Chinganya who is the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) director for statistics and special initiatives division said the Africa Union Commission and UNECA will also be represented at the highest level.

He called for the acceleration of implementation of SDGs as the continent enters the final years of monitoring.

The regional forum is an intergovernmental platform convened by the UNECA in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and the United Nations system to review progress, share experiences and lessons                     learned towards attaining the continent’s Agenda 2063.

It will run under the theme: “2020-2030: A Decade to Deliver a Transformed and Prosperous Africa through the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.”-@ncubeleon